A major US space mining robotics firm has expanded into Luxembourg, appointing a former ispace CEO to run its European HQ.
Headquartered in Pasadena, California, OffWorld was founded in 2016 with the goal of reinventing mining, manufacturing, and construction industries by developing a new generation of AI-powered robots able to withstand extreme conditions. It is now adapting its technology for the mining of resources in space.
OffWorld has appointed Kyle Acierno as Managing Director of the newly created OffWorld Europe branch, which will conduct research into lunar regolith processing and begin the design and development of its robotic workforce.
“OffWorld Europe will begin its first program on a multi-year program that focuses on developing and deploying modules for the extraction and storage of oxygen and hydrogen from volatiles and water deposits at the lunar surface. This will include mating modules to OffWorld’s robotic technologies for cohesive lunar deployment,” OffWorld said in a press release.
Acierno, who worked for over seven years with Japanese space robotics firm ispace, sits on the board of World Space Week, the IAF Industry Relations Committee, and has served as the Chair of the Technical Committee of the Hague Space Resources Working Group.
A source told Silicon that the firm intends to move to offices close to the space campus, which is planned to open 2025-2026.
OffWorld, which has offices in Australia and South Africa, is currently hiring for 10 roles in Luxembourg, including in engineering and business development.
